UN regional forums spotlight SDG progress

Each year the five UN regional economic and social commissions organize a forum on sustainable development with the aim to take stock of SDG implementation in the respective region. In addition, the forums promote the sharing of good practices and challenges, as well as fostering dialogue between countries. The forums’ themes are aligned with the High-Level Political Forum for Sustainable Development (HLPF), which happens in July and serves as the global pulse-taking event on SDG progress.

In 2020, the UN launched the Decade of Action for Sustainable Development, marking the remaining 10 years for the implementation of the SDGs as part of the 2030 Agenda.

While in 2020 the forums touched upon the potential risks and challenges of the unfolding global coronavirus crisis, this year the impacts of the pandemic were at the centre of the discussions. All five forums addressed resilient and sustainable recovery from the pandemic, highlighting the global goals as the roadmap for building greener and better societies and economies.

The SDG Lab, in collaboration with the regional commissions, has captured the key messages from the regional forums through a series of short videos. They are available below, with a non-exhaustive summary of the points mentioned in the videos.

UN Economic Commission for Europe

• The important role of local actors was highlighted during the forum. Voluntary local reviews are key drivers for the implementation of the SDGs, and local and sub-national actors should be empowered to take ownership of the 2030 Agenda.
• There was general agreement among countries on using the 2030 Agenda as a guiding framework when developing plans to overcome the current crisis, balancing economic transformation with environmental sustainability and greater inclusion.  
• While the pandemic has triggered rapid progress in digitalization, countries noted the importance of ensuring people have the know-how and tools to access such technologies.

UN Economic Commission for Africa

• The pandemic has triggered rapid progress in digitalization. However, participants to the forum noted it essential that sufficient attention is given to education and access to digital technologies, so that no one is left behind.
• For African countries, it is crucial to mobilize innovative financing solutions such as green and blue bonds or debt for adaptation swaps. This will lead to investment in key areas that will have the greatest impact in terms of job creation, investment in energy, climate-smart agriculture for food security, and protecting natural heritage.  
• Digital transformation is needed and greater attention must be paid to science, technology and innovation to accelerate progress towards the SDGs. Digital transformation will also play a key role in ensuring inclusion in our societies.  

UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific

• The forum highlighted that on the current trajectory, less than 10% of SDG targets are on track to be met by 2030. This gap widened because of COVID-19 and will continue to do so if nothing is done.

• According to recent projections, an estimated 89 million more people in the Asia-Pacific region have fallen back into extreme poverty. SDG 2 (Zero hunger) is a goal that was not on track even before the pandemic, with almost 9 billion people not able to afford a healthy diet.
• Regarding SDG 8 (Decent work and economic growth), in the Asia-Pacific region, working hours have been reduced dramatically due to the pandemic, resulting in an average loss of 140 million full-time jobs over the year. The region also regressed in sustainable consumption and production.  
• COVID-19 has equally led to a decline in attention given to the environment, with the focus on socio-economic recovery. The pandemic’s impact on SDG 16 (Peace, justice, and strong institutions) is high in the region—and even before COVID-19, many restrictions on civic space and fundamental freedomswere apparent.  

UN Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean

• Latin-America and the Caribbean is the most hardly hit developing region of the world by the pandemic with 8.6% of the world’s population and 30% of the worlds mortality rate.
• The region faces the worst economic recession in 120 years with more than a third of its population estimated to be living in poverty in 2020.  
• Ensuring the availability of COVID-19 vaccines through enhanced regional coordination is a priority. Engaging youth and women to increase their economic empowerment is also a priority for the region.
• The forum called on the international community to facilitate technology transfer and address the digital divide in the region.  
• On the environmental front, there is a need to mitigate and adapt to the impact of the climate crisis, protect biodiversity in the region and develop disaster risk reduction strategies.  

UN Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia

• The key messages of Arab Forum for Sustainable Development (AFSD) 2021 targeted structural barriers. Included among them were calls for a coordinated regional response to reduce illicit financial flows, tax evasion, and financial corruption.
• Furthermore, the importance of SDG 16 and the expansion of civic space was highlighted, with this goal viewed as a key target for achieving all the SDGs in the Arab region.
• Countries in the region called for redistributive policies and economic diversification to tackle poverty, inequality and the shrinking middle class, and a focus on access to vaccines, debt relief and inclusive digitalization.

More information about the 2021 HLPF are available here.

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